Apparatus for indicating the depth of liquids in vessels.



1. MURPHY. APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE DEPTH 0F LIQUIDS IN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I5, 19l8 maar WM:

li Specification of Letters Patent.

LJEN'ARD MURPHY, 0F DUBLIN, IRELAND.

i il FOR INDICATING THE DEPTH 0F LIQUIDS IN VESSELS.

Patented Feb. 1s, 1919.

application mea may 15, 191e. semi No. 234,703.

` until the effective pressure-on the indicating liquid was that due tothe depth of liquid in the vessel to be gaged, the gas beingintroducedinto the gage through a tube dipping into the indicating liquid whichautomaticall v sealed the apparatus against leakage of the gas, anyexcess gas escaping through the open end of the line tube which reachedto the bottom of the vessel to be gaged. g

The apparatus required a separate `air compressor or collapsible bulband if this were defective it might fail to suiiiciently compress theair. If the tube through which the air pressure was conveyed tothe gagewas of large bore the accuracy of the indications was aected by thevolume of liquid required to seal the tube. If, on the other hand, thetube was of fine bore it was liable to choke.

These drawbacks are removed according to the present invention, in whichthe gage glass acts also as the air compressor, thus doing away with theseparate compressor and the tube by which the air pressure wastransmitted to the gage. Also, as no air is forced through the liquid inthe indicating apparatus, a more permanent zero is obtained.

In the accompanying drawings, which showexamples'of apparatus accordingto the invention, l

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an apparatus embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the gage glass shown in Fig. 1,and the parts associated therewith, said parts being shown in adifferent position from that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a gage glass similar to thatshown in Fig. 1 but provided with a separate gage tube;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a gage glass wherein the tube'connecting the gage glass with the vessel in which the level of the -ofwhich the dep the tubes E, C and B 'from the lower end of the tube B;the air liquid to be measured enters the gage glass from the bottom;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 wherein the gage glass is providedwith' a separate gage tube.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is the vessel th H of the liquid containedtherein is required. A tube B open at the lowerend is immersed to thebottom of thel vessel and communicates bythe branch C with the closedtop of a tube E which is open below and is placed` within atra'nsparent. gage glass D. The gage D is closed at the lower end and isfilledy to a zero mark' with an indicating liquid; the tubes D and E canbe relatively raised and lowered.

In order to obtain the depth H of the liquid in the, vessel A, the tubesD and E are separated preferably by lowering the tube D until the liquidin the gage glass is clear of the open end of the tube E; the glass D isthen raised, compressing the air contained in until some air escapespressure then remains constant and is indicated by the rise ofthe liquid4in the outer tube D, the difference between the heights of the liquidin the tubes D and E corresponding to the depth II.

In the example shown in Fig. 3 an indicating gage glass F is incommunication with the liquid in the vessel D; in this construction thetube D may be made of an opaque material.

In the examples shown in Figs. l and 5, the, line tube C enters at thebottoni of the outer tube D and the inner tube E can be raised as shownby the dottedlines.

In the example shown in Fig. 5 an indieating gage tube F is provided asin Fig. 3. The tubeF" need not extendto the lower level of the liquid inthe tubes E and D and it will be su'icient to read the level of theliquid in the tube F', whensuitable allowance has 'been made in thegraduation of the tube for the fall of the liquidin the tube Ecorresponding to a' rise in the tube D.

In the 'example shown in Fig. 5 all the parts may be made of opaquematerial except the glass F.

v A special advantage of the apparatus ac cording to the invention isobtained by the fact that, when the outer tubeD-is at its lowestposition relatively to the inner tube E, the liquid is at atmosphericpressure, and if any evaporation of the indicating liqof liquid in avessel, comprising' a reservoir having its upper end open totheatmosphere and adapted to contain an indicating llquid to a zeromark, atube having its upper'end closed and its lower end open and adapted tobe inserted and displaced longitudinally in said reservoir, a pipehaving one of its ends communicating with the upper part of A theinterior of said tube and its other end adapted to be immersed to nearthe bottom of the liquid contained in a vessel, and means for indicatingthe diference of level of the liquid Within the tube and in thereservoir surrounding the tube, when the tube is imv mersed in theindicating liquid contained in the reservoir to a depth sufficient tocompress-the air in the tube and in the com'- municating pipe to balancethe pressure due to the depth of liquid in the vessel.

2. An apparatus for indicating the depth of liquid in a vessel,comprising a reservoir having its upper end open to the atmosphere andadapted to contain an indicating liquid to a zero mark, a tube havingits upper end closed and its lower end open and adapted fto be insertedand displaced longitudinally in the said reservoir, a pipe having oneend communicating with the upper part of the interior of the said tubeand its other end ada ted to be immersed to the bottom of a liquid`contained in a vessel, and a gage glass communicating with saidreservoir an adapted, when said tube is immersed in the reservoir andthe pressure of the air in the tube balances the pressure due to thedepth of liquid in the Vessel, to indicate by the level of the'indicating liquid in said glass the depth of liquid in the vessel.

In testimony whereofV I have signed my presence of name to thisspecification' in the tvvo subscribing witnesses.

LEONARD MURPHY.

Witnesses:

NUNoro NULLY,

J. PLUNKETT DrLroN.

